“ACTING LOCALLY, THINKING GLOBALLY” Jamie Davies HOW ARE WORLD HERITAGE Ironbridge Institute VALUES COMMUNICATED WITHIN THE ONSITE LEARNING PROCESS. @JDaviesHeritage [email protected] Article 4 of the World Heritage Convention states that each State Party has ‘the duty of ensuring the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission to future generations of the cultural and natural heritage’ (UNESCO 1972); it is through Outreach and Education that this ‘transmission’ is undertaken. Article 27 enshrines the Educational duties of WHSs, as it notes that ‘the States Parties to this Convention shall endeavour by all appropriate means, and in particular by educational and information programmes, to strengthen appreciation and respect by their peoples of the cultural and natural heritage’ (UNESCO 1972) EDUCATION AND WORLD HERITAGE Global National Regional Local Individual Formal Learning Informal Learning Number of educational visits (from WHS Management plan, Davies 2014) Jurassic Coast – 200,000 educational bed nights per annum take place to the Jurassic Coast (2009) Charmouth visitor centre - c6000 Kew Gardens- +100,000 Tower of London- c70,000 Ironbridge Gorge – c70,000 Blaenavon WHS- c60-70,000 Stonehenge- +45,000- Avebury- + 4,500 Source: LAWHF 2013 Westminster Abbey- 12,467 (2013), Palace of Westminster – +45,000 (2012-13) Edwardian Castles- 17,670 (2013-14) Durham Cathedral- 15,963 (2013) Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey- 14,414 (2007/8) Canterbury Cathedral- +10,000 Giants causeway- +7,000 Saltaire- 3000 (United Reformed Church) ‘WORLD HERITAGE SITES SET STANDARDS OF EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES FO R OTHER HERITAGE SITES’ (BRATISLAVA DECLARATION - UNESCO 2002) Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey Management Plan 2009-2014:8 The earliest known school visit is recorded in 1851 Sandford Award for excellence in heritage education-Tower of London since 1978 The Costs and Benefits of World Heritage Site Status in the UK report. Most UK sites were important educational assets long before they gained WHS status (PWC 2007:13) EDUCATION AT WORLD HERITAGE SITES V WORLD HERITAGE EDUCATION • Grunberg 2014:23- educational approach related to Article 27 • UNESCO 2002- multidisciplinary approach related to the UNESCO World Educational approach which seeks an understanding the ascribed Heritage list and 1972 Convention- values of the Outstanding Universal Value and the human values of knowledge, skills and attitudes World Heritage Site status notably cultural tolerance and peace “forge new attitudes and a life-long (Davies 2016) commitment to preserving our local, national and World Heritage for present and future generations” “play an instrumental role in safeguarding the tremendous cultural and natural diversity of the world through international co-operation” (UNESCO 2002). Research Aim 1: To what extent are World Heritage values embedded in the onsite learning process (school visits and workshops at the site)? Research Aim 2: To what extent does being a World Heritage Site change the educational experience? Research Aim 3: How is the World Heritage concept and UNESCO processed by the visiting schools? Research Aim 4: What may be the implications for World Heritage Sites and Education globally? Over 3 weeks- 14 schools- 9 primary schools and 5 secondary schools 2/3rds KS2 (7-11 years old/Primary School) reflective of educational users ARE WORLD HERITAGE VALUES EMBEDDED IN THE ONSITE LEARNING PROCESS? World Heritage only mentioned in 3/14 observations Lead teachers were unsure about if the students left knowing that the site was a WHS, despite stating it is important that they know ‘Sorry, I don’t even know what that is’ (Dataset 14). No specific learning resources (pre-visit or post visit). Is mentioned at Blists Hill and Museum of the Gorge through onsite interpretative media. We don’t do anything about that specifically…it just hasn’t caught on with schools. Ascribed Values Table of the Ironbridge Gorge WHS World Heritage Values Ascribed Values Human Values • Importance within the Industrial revolution, the International Significance Peace Iron bridge, Quakers • Iron Bridge discussed at the Darby Houses and World Heritage Site Status Cultural Tolerance the Museum of Iron not in Enginuity UNESCO International understanding • STEAM/enterprise learning activities Symbol of the 18th century • Darby furnace global significance not Industrial Revolution communicated First known metal bridge First smelted iron using coke Human Values Birthplace of Industry ‘Those concepts are very difficult to put across…I’m not sure a three legged pot is the harbinger of world Industrial landscape- coherent ensemble peace’ (Head of Learning, IGMT) ‘It didn’t occur to me…I probably hadn’t seen the link’ (Dataset 9) INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN A POST INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY Student A: What’s that? It looks like the thing in the Simpsons? Student B: It’s a power plant. (Dataset 23) Student: What’s coke? Coke like this? (Has a Coke bottle) Front of house assistant: I’ve explained that before. (Dataset 26) DOES BEING A WORLD HERITAGE SITE CHANGE THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIEN CE? World Heritage was not a priority for educational groups, organisation managers and staff High number of repeat visitors-before 1986 National Curriculum link is the focus - Victorian Period (History) V World Heritage Agency of the lead teacher- ‘Communication is assumed’ ‘I don’t think it really stuck out to me that message, but that might have just been because I was too busy focusing on where the kids were’ (Dataset 9). Geography of the visit ‘We didn’t look at [Ironbridge Gorge WHS] very much. Apart from going into the science museum’ (Dataset 6). To experience the birthplace of the industrial revolution, to enjoy a famous world heritage site, to facilitate active research for our Ironbridge enterprise project and our individual research project (Dataset 12). HOW CAN THE WORLD HERITAGE CONCEPT BE PROCESSED BY THE VISITING SCHOOLS? Network Effect ‘I think you could make any of the sites interesting, up to a point...With a good guide or a good volunteer or well prepared teacher, I think you can bring that to life. Essentially it is like the pyramids, it is a pile of bricks. But it has got a story to tell’ (Dataset 5). ‘I don’t know if this is linked to it but I said to the children that the actual iron bridge itself is like a mini wonder of the world, because it is the first of its kind and how important it was’ (Dataset 14). WORLD HERITAGE PEDAGOGIES Use of analogies Threats Criteria (role play) Thematic – Sam Ham’s Knockan theory Values and attributes- DVMWHS resource INFORMAL V FORMAL LEARNING Restrictions in formal learning/intended curriculum World Heritage Youth Ambassadors -Blaenavon (2014), 2016- Pontcysyllte, Fountains Abbey, Durham, Edinburgh, Maritime Greenwich, Ironbridge Co-creation and empowerment Hølleland’s (2013:119) proposition that “a sign is a beginning, but it should not end there” “In 2015, I was chosen to be an ambassador for the Egypt Centre at the UNESCO World Heritage Youth Summit in Blaenavon. This first sparked my interest for world heritage in a global context and began to inspire me about the possibility of wanting to study at history at degree level.” HOW CAN THE WORLD HERITAGE CONCEPT BE PROCESSED BY THE VISITING SCHOOLS? FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING WORLD HERITAGE SITES AS LEARNING RES OURCES Learning Learning In About Learning Learning From For World Heritage Sites provide a World Heritage Sites should be resource to learn about their used as an outdoor classroom, local, national and global and at the very least for field archaeological and historical trips. significance (Outstanding Learning In Universal Value). Learning About World Heritage Sites as The creativity and inspiration resources for the promotion of that World Heritage Sites can conservation and Peace provide. (shared culture and cultural Learning from tolerance). Learning for Does it matter if students do “THE WORLD IS NOT PERISHING not leave knowing that the site FROM LACK OF WONDERS, IT IS is a World Heritage Site? PERISHING FROM LACK OF WONDER” What do we want? G. K CHESTERTON, ENGLISH POET (1874 - 1936) What could we do better? “AT NO AGE IS THE DESIRE OF KNOWLEDGE STRONGER THAN IN CHILDHOOD”. ROBERT OWEN (1771-1858), WELSH SOCIAL REFORMER AND INDUSTRIALIST, NEW LANARK WORLD HERITAGE SITE WORLD HERITAGE EDUCATION SESSION Does being a World Heritage Site change the educational experience? Whose responsibility is it to communicate World Heritage Values? How can the World Heritage concept be processed by the visiting schools? Is there such a thing as a World Heritage pedagogy or are there only the cross curricular pedagogies associated with learning in informal environments such as heritage sites and museums? Does it matter if students do not leave knowing that the site is a World Heritage Site? .